October 31, 2014

During a Rochester press conference, McFadden said it's a mistake to close Guantanamo Bay, especially considering recent reports that 20 to 30 former detainees are fighting with the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS.

"Sen. Franken continues to call upon the closing of Guantanamo, which I think is reckless. We are at war with ISIS," McFadden said.

President Obama is reportedly considering using his executive authority to close Guantanamo Bay and move the detainees to the U.S. prison facilities, leading some to question if such detainees could end up at Rochester's Federal Medical Center.

"I think that's an incredibly bad idea. I would never support that we bring terrorists to Rochester," McFadden said.

Franken campaign spokesman Ryan Furlong accused McFadden of trying to "score cheap political points" on a serious issue and said Franken does not support the president using his executive authority to shut down Guantanamo Bay.

"Sen. Franken has been on top of terrorist recruitment in Minnesota since taking office and has been clear that he believes the American judicial system can be an effective weapon in the fight against terrorism," Furlong said in a statement. "He also believes that the President does not and should not have the authority to circumvent Congress and unilaterally close Guantanamo Bay."

September 10, 2014

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike McFadden said in an interview this morning he would support airstrikes in Iraq and Syria to deal with the threat posed by Sunni extremists.

"I support airstrikes both in Iraq and Syria. I do not support boots on the ground," he said.

McFadden said President Obama's foreign policy has made the world a less safe place. He said he is deeply concerned about a previous comment from Obama that he did not have a strategy for dealing with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

"This leading from behind, it's not working. It's made the world a more dangerous place. We've reached a place where our enemies don't fear us and our allies don't trust us," he said.

McFadden's comments come in advance of the president's prime-time speech tonight in which he's expected to lay out his strategy for dealing with ISIS. McFadden stopped in Rochester this morning to campaign, visiting with supporters at Press Coffee & Tea Lounge.

In a statement issued by his campaign, McFadden said that the president should seek congressional approval for the air strikes and that they should "have the support of our allies, and ensure that strikes are conducted without coordinating with the Assad regime."

"Sen. Franken, who voted with the president 97 percent of the time, has supported every one of President Obama's foreign policy blunders, and that has to change," McFadden said.

The Republican is also supporting a proposal that would automatically revoke passports for American citizens who fight overseas for terrorist organizations. Sixth District Congresswoman Michele Bachmann introduced a bill that would do that earlier this week.

"I believe when someone violates the law that they should lose their passport. They should also go on a no-fly list," he said.

I reached out to the Franken campaign to get a response to McFadden's comments. I will update this blog post when I hear back from them.

Franken campaign spokeswoman Alexandra Fetissoff said McFadden's claim that Franken has supported all of Obama's foreign policy positions is simply not accurate. She said from the beginning of his term in the Senate, Franken has taken an active role in trying to address terrorist recruitment in the state.

"Soon after he took office, Senator Franken met with the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI office in the Twin Cities to discuss terrorist recruitment in Minnesota. He has continued to meet with the FBI, both in Minnesota and DC, to discuss this topic, and has questioned the heads of the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI several times in Senate hearings about this very problem," she said.

Franken has said he supports the idea of airstrikes in Iraq and Syria but opposes sending in combat troops, according to Minnesota Public Radio.

"I think that we have to definitely consider airstrikes there. What we don't want to do is get mired into a land war where we're sending combat troops," Franken told MPR.

May 31, 2014

After a grueling 10-ballot fight, Sunfish Lake businessman Mike McFadden won the Republican Party endorsement Saturday afternoon in Rochester.Delegates recessed early this morning after seven ballots showed a deadlock between two candidates — McFadden and Duluth Republican Chris Dahlberg. Throughout the balloting, Dahlberg lead on the balloting but the momentum switched to McFadden. On the eight ballot, Dahlberg's lead shrunk to a mere 3 votes. By the ninth ballot, McFadden had taken the lead, winning 53 percent of the vote to Dahlberg's 45 percent.Before the tenth ballot was announced, Dahlberg conceded to McFadden. "I don't like to lose, but I'm going to get behind that person that wins that endorsement and I will, he said.

A hoarse McFadden thanked the crowd for their endorsement and promised to give it all he has got to beat U.S. DFL Sen. Al Franken in November."I look forward to taking the fight to Al Franken," he said. "We have a better vision, all of us in this room. We need to get back on the road to growth and prosperity."McFadden came into the endorsing convention stating he would not abide by the endorsement, while other candidates such as Dahlberg and Sen. Julianne Ortman of Chanhassen said they would. By scoring the endorsement, McFadden has likely been spared for an expensive and highly-contested August primary fight. One candidate, Anoka Republican state Rep. Jim Abeler has said he will go to the primary. Other candidates eliminated earlier in the balloting included Navy intelligence office Phillip Parrish,Bison Stillwater farmer Monti Moreno and Abeler.

January 13, 2014

The Minnesota DFL has been attacking Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike McFadden's decision not to attend a Rochester Tea Party Patriots' candidate forum on Thursday.

The DFL released a cartoon on Monday morning featuring McFadden's head pasted onto a cartoon chicken. An accompanying press release said this is the third Republican forum McFadden has chosen not to attend and "investment banker Mike McFadden is still a chicken!" On Friday, the DFL sent out what it called a "Chicken a la McFadden recipe."

McFadden's campaign told forum organizers that he had a previous family commitment and could not attend. McFadden's spokesman Tom Erickson said the candidate plans to participate in the Freedom Club's U.S. Senate debate on Feb. 10. His response to the DFL attacks about McFadden's decision not to attend the Rochester event?

"Mike McFadden isn't running against other Republicans. He is running against Al Franken," Erickson said.

McFadden has established himself as a front runner in the race thanks to hefty fundraising hauls. Last week, his campaign announced he has $1.7 million in cash-on-hand and raised $780,000 during the fourth quarter of 2013.

Five other GOP candidates are planning to attend Thursday's forum. They are state Rep. Jim Abeler, St. Louis County Commissioner Chris Dahlberg, state Sen. Julianne Ortman, activist Phillip Parrish and activist Harold Shudlick. The forum will be at 7 p.m. at the Eagles Club, 917 15th Ave. S.E. Ortman won the straw poll at the 2013 GOP State Convention in October.

One thing is clear, any candidate hoping to take on Franken will need a hefty campaign war chest. Franken's campaign announced today he raised $2.1 million in the fourth quarter and has $4.8 million in the bank.

October 22, 2013

U.S. Sen. Al Franken is expected to make stops in West Concord and Rochester tomorrow.

Franken is planing to visit a sustainable poultry farm in West Concord, where he will give farmers and farm staff an update on farm bill negotiations. He is then slated to attend the grand opening of "The Place for Everyone," a new Head Start in Rochester. The DFL senator is expected to tour the building and will then participate in a ribbon cutting and offer some brief remarks.

October 01, 2013

It's not surprising that the answer to that question depends on whom you ask. Members of Minnesota's congressional delegation have already started pointing fingers.

First District DFL Rep. Tim Walz accuses Republicans of catering to its Tea Party members instead of doing what's best for the country.

"It's incredibly reckless that the House Majority has yet again chosen
party over country and abdicated its duties in order to play political
games and pander to their Tea Party base," Walz said in a statement.
"Enough is enough. The American people deserve better."

Meanwhile, 2nd District Republican Rep. John Kline blamed the shutdown
on Senate Democrats and President Obama because they were unwilling to
compromise. He voted in favor of the House's third and final offer to
avoid a shutdown that would have kept the government open while delaying
the federal health law's individual mandate.

“The House has voted for a third time to keep the government running and
protect Americans from the President’s fatally-flawed health care law,
while the Senate and White House sit idly by refusing to compromise,"
Kline said in a statement.

DFL Sen. Al Franken said Republicans are simply looking to rehash old political fights.

"Republicans in the House continue to insist on holding our economic
recovery hostage while they refight the same political battles over and
over again," Franken said in a statement.

Franken was even more blunt in a video aired Monday night during an Olmsted County DFL fundraising dinner in which he said the
Republican Party “is now controlled by anti-government ideologues.”

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar said it is time to bring the political
brinkmanship to an end and focus on working on a long-term budget
solution.

"The Senate has passed a straightforward bill that would keep the
government open so we can work on a long-term, balanced plan for deficit
reduction," Klobuchar said in a statement. "The House of
Representatives has only passed bills that the President has said he
would veto. This gamesmanship needs to end so we can stop this shutdown
and get the government back to work."

September 02, 2013

Both Sen. Al Franken and 1st District Rep. Tim Walz have issued statements responding to President Obama's decision to seek congressional approval for military action against Syria for the country's alleged use of chemical weapons on its own citizens.

Walz had joined more than 100 other members of the House calling for the president to seek Congress's OK. He flew to Washington D.C. yesterday to attend a classified briefing about the Obama Administration's evidence that Syria was behind the attack last month that killed more than 1,4000 people. Walz applauded the president's decision to bring the matter before Congress.

“As I’ve said from the beginning, the use of chemical weapons is despicable and there is a moral responsibility to defend the defenseless, but we cannot rush into this decision. I look forward to hearing from southern Minnesotans and debating this issue with my colleagues in Congress to make sure the national security of our nation is paramount," Walz said in a statement.

Franken said in a statement that there must be consequences for Syria's actions.

"There are no good options on Syria. But as I’ve said, the use of chemical weapons to kill over a thousand people and injure many more is a horrendous act, and there have to be consequences for that," Franken said in a statement. "Whatever action the United States takes, it has to be limited action. This can’t be an open-ended commitment, and it definitely should not lead to American boots on the ground. Congress now has an important role to play, and I look forward to participating in a vigorous debate about the use of force and the best interests of our country."

August 23, 2013

Minnesota DFL Sen. Al Franken said today it's time to start considering pulling the plug on aid to Egypt in the wake of a recent bloody crackdown on protesters by the military-backed government.

"At this point, I think for the benefit of our credibility in the Muslim world, that we need to certainly suspend any kind of military aid," Franken said in an interview during a visit to Rochester. "This is unacceptable. We cannot be standing by and aiding this or being perceived as aiding this."

The U.S. sends Egypt $1.3 billion in military aid every year. Some members of Congress have called for that aid to be revoked following the ouster of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. Last week, hundreds were killed after Egyptian security forces moved to break up protests being staged by Morsi's supporters.

Franken called the situation in Egypt a "horrible tragedy." Even though it is important to keep Israel's security interests in mind and recognize they do rely on their treaty with Egypt, "we should very, very seriously be considering suspending aid."

He added, "The (Obama) administration clearly tried to work with the military government to try to get them back on a process of democracy and failed."

Meanwhile, 1st District DFL Rep. Tim Walz takes a different view. At this point, the Mankato Democrat said he is concerned that if Egypt's aid is suspended immediately it will put Americans living there in danger.

"There are a lot of Americans in Egypt and the Egyptian Army is responsible in many cases for securing the peace, securing them," he said. "The fear is on this one if you instantly cut this (aid) off, they say, 'OK, we don't have the resources to protect this American business, this american citizen.'"

Walz said the Egyptians need to know that America's patience is limited.

"I certainly think if we are going to give aid to countries, there should be expectations of behavior, expectations of human rights and expectations of what they are going to do for us," he said.

March 13, 2013

DFL Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Tim Walz sent a letter to IBM Vice President Walter Ling today asking the company to reconsider its decision to move manufacturing jobs to Mexico and New York. Below is a copy of the letter.

March 12, 2013

Walter Ling, Vice President
IBM

3605 Highway 52 North
Rochester, MN 55901

Dear Walt,

We write regarding the recent announcement that IBM plans to transfer manufacturing
of its Power Systems, PureSystems and PureFlex Systems servers to Guadalajara,
Mexico later this year. This decision will result in job loss for approximately 200
full-time workers in Rochester, Minnesota.
As the third largest industry in the state, manufacturing is a direct and indirect
source of good paying jobs and a major driver of innovation. We believe that
southern Minnesotans comprise one of the most capable, educated, and productive
workforces in the world and they stand ready to assist as American manufacturing
makes a comeback. It is our hope that IBM will reconsider its decision and keep jobs
in Rochester as well as look at other ways the company can invest in its Rochester
facility. Undoubtedly, this is an investment worth making.

January 01, 2013

It's up to the Republican-controlled House to determine the fate of a last-minute deal to avoid the fiscal cliff.

The U.S. Senate passed the deal early this morning. The agreement, worked out between Vice President Joe Biden and Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, would prevent taxes from being raised on individuals making less than $400,000 per year. It also delays for two months steep spending cuts that were scheduled to take effect in the new year.

The bill passed 89 to 8 in the Senate with both of Minnesota's DFL senators — Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar — voting yes. Below are statements released by the senators' offices.

Sen. Al Franken's statement:

“I voted for this bill because it contains a number of very important provisions, including tax cuts for working and middle-income Minnesotans, an extension of unemployment insurance for so many Americans who are looking for work, and the production tax credits that mean so much to our state’s renewable energy producers. And it was crucial to me that Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security beneficiaries were protected.

“There are some provisions I most certainly don’t like, particularly those in the extension of the Farm Bill: cuts in conservation and energy, and the gutting of the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Program. But I’ll continue to work to pass a five-year Farm Bill this year so that Minnesota’s ag community has the support and certainty it needs.

“While I don’t think this package raises sufficient revenues toward paying down the debt or to make the investments in infrastructure, education, and research and development needed to grow our economy, I knew that no bill would have 100 percent of what I wanted, and I will continue to fight for the priorities that I believe will best serve Minnesota.”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar's statement:

“I voted for this compromise because the last thing we should be doing this New Year’s is sticking middle class families with a tax hike. I fought for and wanted a larger, more comprehensive plan that balanced revenues and spending cuts. I will continue to push for a broader plan to reduce our debt and give businesses and families the certainty they need.”